Me and my family are going on a cruise christmas 2010. Should we do Royal Caribbeans Oasis of the Seas leaving the 23, or Norwegian Epic leaving the 25? I have been only on royal caribbean and really like it but the norwegian ship looks really cool, which one do you think?
Answer :
First-off, Epic is not completed yet, and will not be for several months, so it is impossible as a passenger to compare the two ships in a real-experience sense. Having said that, let's compare unique features of both ships beginning with Oasis:
Ice Skating rink that includes both Ice Capades-like shows and public ice-skating time (on previous RCCL ships as well)
Boxing Ring (First-seen on Freedom-Class ships)
Man-Made Surf-Riding pools called the "FLOWRIDER" (Another "Freedom-Class First")
High-Diving water-shows augmented by a 26-piece orchestra encompassed by a one-of-a-kind Amphitheater located on the sturn (very back-portion) of the ship in front of seated crowds of more than 300 people.
The one and only Viking Crown Lounge which is located at the highest-point of all RCCL ships.
The "Rising Tide" lounge located in "Central Park". (RCCL's mini-version of New York City's one and only Central Park.) The Rising-Tide bar actually rises and settles between several outdoor decks while providing un-obstructed views from every seat in the bar.
A dedicated children's water Theme-Park
A 300-foot long "Zip-Line" that spans the length of "Central Park, 9 stories above the trees and brooks that run through the park.
Age-Appropriate Science Labs for all school-age kids
A children's theatre mini-camp that actually puts on real stage presentations for family and friends.
Two kinds of balconies: Those which overlook "Central Park" and leave you with the feeling of life in Mid-town Manhattan; and those which look out onto the ocean: Both aft-facing, and outside both the port and starboard sides of the ship.
Two-Story apartments which supply unbelievable, two-story views of the ocean-vista!
These are only the highlights of this amazing work of nautical engineering mastery. There are many other things on this ship like a real Johnny Rockets Diner with singing waiters, a two-story library, an adults-only pool/solarium, Mini-Golf course, a real carnival carosel and much, much more. All of which have been, and continue to be parts of the RCCL 42-year drive to be the best in the business when it comes to dazzling their passengers!
What makes the EPIC stand out?
First would be their new non-conformist cabin-architecture. They are the first cruise-line to re-think the passenger cabin by removing the straight, 90-degree walls, and replacing them with curved ones. (Very unique, and worth checking out.)
Then, there is the Garden-styled apartment-suites located at the very top of the ship. This is where people who don't want to be part of the "crowd" will stay, so they can enjoy all the privacy anyone could want, including a dedicated butler-service and private pool/hot-tub. Can you say HONEYMOON? I thought you could!
Who could forget to mention Blue-Man Shows or Cirque Du-Solei, both NCL exclusives!
Then of course, how about a few frames of bowling? NCL is the only cruise-line with REAL bowling alleys.
Both ships will offer you more shops, shows, art-auctions, restaurants, bars, lounges and more to visit, so don't worry about what you could do, just worry about finding the time to sample all of them!
One post-script: Divegirl below me here mentions that NCL is the only cruise-line that offers you the option of eating anytime you want. This is no longer true. NCL's "Freestyle Dining" has proven so successful, that Royal Caribbean and Carnival have copied the program. If you don't want the rigid Pre-determined dining-times of 6:00PM or 8:15 PM, you can now select Royal Caribbean's "Anytime-Dining" option. Just show up and wait for the Matre' D to seat you for dinner. (But beware... Anytime Dining does not guarantee you will be able to be seated at the exact time you show up for dinner like is the case with the pre-determained times noted above.) If you don't like waiting to be served, stick with the old system of being seated at a pre-determined time. If you select the anytime-dining-option, make sure to discuss with the Matre' D what time is the best for you to avoid the crowds and thus, long waiting-times to be seated for dinner.
Answer :
I was just on a cruise that left from fort lauterdale, I could see the oasis of the seas from my ship, that ship is absolutely huge. I read up on it and it holds 8,600 people including crew. It also can't go to all ports because it's the biggest cruise ship in the world and it doesnt fit at alot of places, so remember that. I don't know the oasis has alot to do on the ship and is probally crowded. So I don't know, smaller ships are easier to deal with because they go to more places and less people.
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I took Oasis of the Seas on their maiden voyage & all in all, enjoyed it. Much to do, rooms were amazing, etc. My only problem was because it was a completely sold-out cruise, it was very difficult to get in to some of the shows and I was told over the phone before the cruise that there would be babysitters on board (so I could have dinner at least once with only the adults) but when I got on, there was no babysitting available at all on the cruise. It really was an amazing experience though & I would do it again in a heartbeat! I don't know if it was because the Oasis is so big, you do not feel any motion so I'm sure that's a big plus if you get sea sick. I've never been on the Norwegian Epic.
Answer :
I have heard a lot of great things about Royal Caribbean Cruises but I do not hear much about Norwegian Epic. Royal Caribbean seems to be a real favourite along with Carnival crusies. The links below have reviews from persons who have been on these crusie lines before, it should give you great insight on how each of them is and should help you make your choice:
Royal Caribbeans Oasis of the Seas:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreview… (Just click on the titles of the reviews and read on)
Norwegian Epic:
It does not seem as though this cruise ship has been launched as yet but the link below should still give you an understanding of what the crusie is like:
http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/revi…I shoud also note that the crusie destinations would also be a major factor in which crusie ship to choose!
Enjoy your cruise!
Answer :
my brother just came back from a 5 day cruise and his Carnival ship was docked next to the Oasis at one port of call. he sent me pictures and it is a MONSTER of a ship. i read that it is 40% bigger than the next largest ship sailing at this time. i am not sure how the Epic will compare. my brother spoke with a few people that were sailing the Oasis. they all had good things to say. for me personally, though, it is too friggin big. i like the smaller ships although the last 2 cruises i was on was the NCL Sun then the NCL Pearl. i did also read that some of the better rooms on the Oasis are booked up for the next 2 years so you might want to make a decision soon.
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NCL, hands down. I will never go back to Royal Caribbean/Carnival style cruising. With NCL, you can pick when and where you want to eat every night, and never have to eat with random strangers. There is no strict dress code either. I found it much easier to relax not having to rush off because we HAD to eat at say 5:30 every single day, in the same restaurant. We could eat in the Mexican restaurant, Chinese, Italian, main dining room, etc. Plus the Epic is new, so it should be really nice!
Answer :
Well you decide , Oasis of the Seas is i think the biggest cruise ship and has a lot of shopping but Norwegian Epic has the blue man group and freestyle cruising, oasis isnt
